The last show of the year!

The old saying goes: Save the best for last, and that’s exactly what we did this year! Our last show of the season will be tomorrow at the Hilton. There will be door prizes, just for showing up, 51 tables of vendors, and a beautiful, elegant atmosphere. Best of all, it’s the last chance to grab our goodies at show prices!

CYBER MONDAY IS COMING!!
ON NOVEMBER 26TH, TAKE 25% OFF YOUR ORDER WITH CODE SOAPY2018.

CYBER MONDAY FINE PRINT: Code cannot be combined with any other code or discounts. Only valid from 12:00am-11:59pm EST on 11/26/18. Cannot be used on previous or future purchases. Only valid for online purchases.

I am always so excited when I get the opportunity to handcraft custom candles for party favors. It means that I get to be a part of someone’s wedding, shower, birthday party, bat mitzvah (to name a few we’ve done) in a little way. I have the privilege and honor of creating something uniquely beautiful for a person’s special celebration. I don’t take that responsibility lightly; I am distinctly aware of the necessity of perfect presentation for favors. While I make favors from a number of our products, I always feel that candles are extra special.

The customer has the choice in the jar, fragrance, and label, which makes the customization process distinctly unique for every customer. Even if your friend gave candles for her shower, your candles will look and smell completely different based on your specific tastes.

Everyone likes candles! Candles are found in 70% of American homes, which means your guests are sure to be satisfied by receiving a candle.

Candles have a quick turn-around time. You can give a meaningful, handcrafted favor and not have to wait weeks for it to cure. Candles can be poured and ready in days (depending on how many you need).

“Dr. Alan Hirsch of Chicago’s Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation explains the draw of scented candles. ‘”When you collect candles,” he says, “you aren’t just collecting the smell of the candle, you are also collecting the emotion of the experience when you first created the memory associated with the candle’s scent”‘ (“America’s Burning Love for Candles,” The Week).

“Candle purchasers say they view candles as an appropriate gift for the holidays (76%), as a housewarming gift (74%), a hostess/dinner party gift (66%), a thank you (61%) and as adult birthday gifts (58%)” (“Candle Facts & Figures,” National Candle Association).

A typical 8oz candle will burn for 40-50 hours (when burned correctly). With the average person burning a candle for less than 4 hours at a time, your guests will enjoy their gift for weeks.

Candles don’t expire. Your guests can keep the covers on their candles and keep the candle fresh for as long as they want without needing to worry about storage.

Candles are timeless. People have been burning candles for thousands of years. Giving the favor of a candle is classic and will always be in style.

The next time you’re hosting a party, consider a customized candle as a favor for a sure-fire way to please your guests.

I recently started going to the gym. I’m not a big fan of the gym, in fact, I would dare say that it is slightly above medieval torture on my scale of things I loathe. I have tried so many different ways to make the moments at the gym joyful – from classes, to workout mixes, to Bluetooth headphones, to quality sneakers, but the feeling of dread is always the same.

I do 45 minutes of cardio and for whatever reason, the first 20 minutes are the worst. I even allow myself a 5-minute warm-up… to me, I’m “cheating” those extra 5 minutes. Time oppressively slows down whenever I do something I find loathsome.

This maligned battle of time seems to also work in reciprocal shifts. The longer I procrastinate on doing what I need to do, the faster time flies. For example, on days I tell myself I will go to the gym, but just at a later time, I’m up at 7am and five minutes later it’s 3pm.

I have to just show the hell up and hit the 25-minute mark.

That’s all it really takes for me to make it because, at that point, I talk myself through the next 20 minutes. The elliptical conversation goes something like this:

Minutes 0-5 – Ok, I’m just warming up, let me just go at a normal pace and it won’t be so bad.

Minutes 6-18 – Dear God, let the shuffle in my iTunes pick the best songs ever so I can “dance.”

Minutes 18-25 – Feel that sweat? You did that. Let it drip. YOU LOVE IT!

Minutes 25-30 – Only 5 minutes left and you got 30 minutes of cardio in. You can do it! You can survive anything for 5 minutes!

Minutes 31-35 – Good momentum. The worst is over. Only 15 minutes to go!

I realized that in order to make it through the first 25 minutes, I first need to show up. Showing up is definitely the hardest part of any routine that we want to get into, but sometimes a little positive, accountable self-talk is necessary:

Why am I doing this?

Will it help me reach my goals?

How do I feel when I have finished?

Our most precious commodity is our time, our moments, so how we spend each moment is crucial. We need to look at our lives globally: How can I live the best life? Use this guiding question to determine what activities are adding value to your life versus detracting from it.

I received a really interesting direct message on the Scents the Moment Instagram the other night:

Initially, as you can tell from my response, I was a little taken aback. I mean, if you look at my Instagram, I have photos of products and my dog, Lucy – I never thought my branding would direct me to be that kind of shop.

But, I questioned my own thinking… what, exactly, did I mean by that kind of shop?

A spiritual shop? A Wiccan shop? A head shop?… I realized the error wasn’t with the question, but in my own thinking.

Candles have existed for millennia and their brightness have served as metaphors for just as long. I realized the question I received was deep-rooted in far more history of candles that I was never aware of. After a little guidance from my friend Deb Jasien, owner of Fields of Ambrosia, she directed me to Wicca Lore and I started to do my research and revised my response:

Candles are inherently magical because they represent the four elements of nature. The wax is equivalent to the Earth (think of the soybeans used to create our wax base). The melted wax is like water – liquefied parts of the Earth. The flame is obviously fire and the smoke produced by the candle is the air. According to Witches Lore, this deep-rooted connected between candles and Earth is strengthened based on the scent.

There exists a whole realm and encyclopedia of fragrances and what they spiritually mean.

Our candles were not created with the intent to draw any connection with the dead. We create our candles for beauty, aesthetic, fragrance, home decor, and to use your olfactory sense to connect you with a blissful moment in life. That being said, we do use scents that are inherently “magical” (as demonstrated above) and would love to hear about how you use our candles to feel more connected with yourself, spirit, or more.

I absolutely love all kinds of music. My iTunes is home to thousands of songs of countless genres. From “Pure Moods” to Pitbull, Gregorian Monk Chants (yes, really) to Lady Gaga, Broadway, Big Band, Beatles, Billy Joel, Billie Holiday, Billy Idol, Billy Ray Cyrus – you get the big picture. I was raised with music as a form of catharsis, stress relief, joy, and celebration. My father is a musician, and both of my parents loved music so much that it was just normal in my childhood to have some form of music playing 24 hours a day. To this day, there are evenings when I cannot sleep without my headphones.

As important as music is to setting a mood and creating ambiance, I look at it like a fine wine in need of a cheese pairing. We have our musical playlists to rev us up while we work out, or the perfect driving station, pairing your soy candle with the right playlist can also add an additional layer of relaxation and home decor, especially while entertaining.

For each candle, I am going to offer a few songs that I believe perfectly suits the scent and creates an ideal moment. I am using my Amazon affiliate links so you can go directly to the song or album and check it out for yourself.

Winter gets a bad rap. Everybody fears dry skin in the winter time, and that’s true, but your skin is actually at risk for far more elemental damage during the summer months. Let’s look at all the risk factors in the summer:

Sun damage (UVA & UVB rays)

Chlorine damage

Excessive sweating

Clogged pores from sunscreen

Every season comes with its skin trials and tribulations, but summer skin really takes a beating. The bad news is that year after year of these beatings will eventually lead to permanent damage, the possibilities of melanoma, and sagging, dry, cracked skin. The good news is that the minute you decide to make a change, your skin is a living organ, so it will constantly regenerate and work with you to reverse the aging effects of the summer.

WEAR YOUR SUNSCREEN! I can never repeat this enough. Even if it seems like a cloudy day, if you’re spending time outdoors, you need to have sunscreen on. If you’re sweating or swimming, you need to reapply every 80 minutes. Look for a broad-spectrum sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB rays. My personal favorite for the face is Clinique. It protects without that greasy feel. For the body, I prefer a spray sunscreen, like Coppertone Sport. I always choose an SPF of at least 30, but I prefer 50 if I can obtain it.

*A common misconception is that if your natural skin is darker in tone, you don’t need sunscreen, or you don’t need a high SPF – this simply isn’t true. Sun damage can affect anyone of any skin tone.

PRE-WASH WITH RESTING BEACH FACE! If you’ve been outside all day, or you’re coming in from a sweaty workout, or you’ve spent the evening with a full face of makeup, you need to give your skin a chance to breathe by washing away all of that dirt. Resting Beach Face is a perfect solution because of the combined Dead Sea Mud and activated coconut charcoal work as a debriding agent and gentle exfoliator to scrub off that top layer of dead skin cells. This helps to unclog your pores and free up your skin to feel clean and absorb the nutrients from the clay facial.

CLAY, CLAY, CLAY to SAVE THE DAY! A great way to reintroduce natural moisture and minerals back into the skin is with clay masks. Saving Face uses numerous clays, as well as colloidal oatmeal, to cleanse and nourish even the most sensitive skin. During the summer, I give myself clay facials two or three times per week. Make sure to give yourself the clay facial AFTER pre-washing your face!

POST WASH with YOU GOT THIS! Make sure to rinse off all of the clay from your mask after 5-7 minutes and follow-up with a gentle, sensitive cleanser like You Got This!. This final cleansing helps to wash off any leftover clay as well as soothe and prepare the skin for moisture.

FINAL STEP is to MOISTURIZE. After all that washing, it’s important to replenish the softness of your skin. Use Butter Me Up – only a teeny, tiny bit will do the trick. Rub in circular motions until fully absorbed. An important note here – don’t add more until your skin has absorbed what you already placed on it, or you can get greasy.

**ALTERNATIVE DAYS

OR FACE THE DAY (FOR STEP #3,4,5)! On days when you’re not giving yourself a mask, exfoliate with Face the Day. Face the Day serves as both an exfoliator and moisturizer in one so you won’t need any extra moisture after rinsing off the sugar. Remember to just leave the natural oils from the scrub on your face to penetrate the skin and deeply nourish.

Everybody likes being rewarded. Gold stars on A+ exams, trophies for championships, frequent flyer miles – we believe the world is a better place because of positive reinforcement. This is why we want YOU to be rewarded every single time you shop and share with us.

We instated the rewards program in early 2016 when we went through our first rebranding. The goal was, and still is, to thank our customers for shopping with us and for sharing about us on social media.

Here are the current rewards and the number of points needed to achieve them:

Step One: The way to start earning rewards and keeping track of your points is to register for an account on our website, scentsthemoment.com.

Step Two: Click the tab on the bottom left of your desktop (or middle of the screen on your mobile device) that says “Earn Rewards.”

It’s that easy! You’re all set up!

Now, this is how you can get reminded of your information. Once you login to your account, you have access to all of your personal points and can be reminded about how to earn more points.

Once you login, you will get directed to the screen you see below. The menu on the left explains all of the information you need about your rewards points balance, what the rewards are, ways to earn rewards, friend referrals, and more.

EARN BIG REWARDS, FAST!

One of the best ways to earn 500 points is to share your referral link with your friends! Click the “Refer Friends” tab on the left side (after you login) and you will see a referral link that is unique to you. SHARE, SHARE, SHARE! Every person who uses YOUR referral link and spends at least $25 in our shop, YOU earn 500 bonus points!

Other ways to earn rewards?

Write a review of any of our products and we add 20 bonus rewards points into your account (this can take us up to 30 days because we do this manually).

Who has the time to give yourself facial masks, nevermind go and get facials? While rituals of cleansing are important aspects of self-care, anything that causes you extra stress is not worth its time. Having this thought in mind, plus my obsession with the cosmetic benefits of clay, I decided to create “You Got This!,” a natural, liquid, facial Castile soap dually serves as a face wash and face mask in one.

Another Monday? Didn’t get enough sleep? A sweaty mess from the gym? Acne and oil from crazy hormones? Don’t worry – YOU GOT THIS! You Got This! is intended to be an affirmation that you can take on anything the day has to offer you! Handcrafted in small batches with ingredients specifically chosen to awaken tired, dull, sensitive, acne-prone, oily, and/or sweaty skin.

The base is made from organic olive oil. Because the saponified part of this soap is 100% olive oil. It is named Castile soap from the town in Spain where Castile 100% olive oil soap is derived. Castile soap is gentle and luxurious with a perfect amount of mild suds which do not destroy the skin’s natural protective layer.

The first goal of a facial mask is cleansing. We use masks to especially remove dirt and oil from our pores. We use white Kaolin clay in “You Got This!” As explained on Stylecaster, “White kaolin clay is the gentlest [of the different colored Kaolin clays] and thus great for sensitive dry skin. It doesn’t absorb so much as it does soften with super gentle bits for a mild exfoliation.” It softly purifies the skin and pores without the harshness that comes with other facial masks.

We include jojoba oil, which is an oil whose chemical property closely mimics human sebum, to create an extra moisturizing softness to balance out the pulling and deep-cleansing from the clay. Finally, we scent You Got This! with a blend of essential oils to create both toned and balanced skin, as well as create a fresh, green, and awake fragrance.

You Got This! is mild, gentle, and safe to also be used as a body wash or as a bath soak. It works ideally in a sea sponge or a Konjac sponge.

I am almost finished with my 11th year of teaching. As with every year, there have been times of laughter, times of sadness, times of confusion and dismay, times of pride. While I always enjoy reflecting on my own teaching, what I like to do this time each year, during Teacher Appreciation Week, is think about the teachers I had in my past who have played their role in shaping me into the person I am today.

To the following teachers, in alphabetical order…

Dr. Marilyn Aronson (deceased)Dr. Aronson – there’s not a class day that goes by where I don’t feel you in my very bones. Your lessons about “Hard writing makes easy reading” continue to resonate and I hope I make you proud every time I teach it. I took your Greek Tragedies book so I could have pieces of you with me from one of my favorite works during AP Lit, Oedipus Rex. I hope you know you are a legend and you are loved.

Mrs. Stacie BrooksYou were my first teacher-love. You were the first person (outside of my family) who made me believe in myself. You called me out when I feigned illness, but you never made me feel bad about it – you always knew it was about my self-confidence. You made me love school and I am forever grateful.

Mr. Martin DoyleAny Russian I learned in high school, I learned from you. Seriously, I wish I had you for all three years of Russian. You taught me incredible study techniques that actually made me a better student. You are the only reason I had any confidence to take Russian in college.

Professor Donald LoewenYou made me challenge my honor and made me a better person for it. You are also the person who made me fall in love with Russian. Spasibo bolshoye, Professor.

Mrs. Carol LoweYou were one of the toughest English teachers at Tech and that’s why I loved you. You were no-nonsense, brilliant, with an amazing sense of warmth and kindness. Every kid respected you to the highest degree because you deserved it. You read all of our work, each and every word, and you let me express myself – yours was the only homework I ever wanted to do.

Ms. Judith MandibergYour leading sentences are what gave me confidence in creative writing. You may not believe me, but I would write several different stories for each of those sentences. But what was more important was how you cared for us. You trusted us with your address to write you letters and during a time that was so tumultuous for me, you were a guiding light, personally answering each and every one of my letters. I’m sorry I stopped writing. If I could find your address again, this time I would come for coffee.

Professor Rachelle MooreYour guidance, leadership, and friendship molded me into someone who was confident enough to take control and run my own programs. Your Computers in English Studies class is what has given me the confidence to build my own websites today. You inspired me to write poetry again.

Mr. Sigmund RobinsonI can still rattle off electronics equations because you made us memorize every one. I am able to fix small circuits, understand the difference between parallel and series, and appreciate my Jewish ancestry because of you.

Professor Libby TuckerYour classes are literally the entire inspiration for my teaching! Because of you, I am able to teach the most amazing senior elective English class in the history of public school. You showed me that my love of folklore and the supernatural was real and valid – you gave me my life’s purpose.

Professor Al VosYou actually taught me how to read Shakespeare and I am forever grateful. You opened up an entire world of figurative language, complex characters, love, devastation, all through the eyes of Iago, Prospero, Portia, and more. I only wish I can be half as inspiring when I teach Shakespeare.

Mr. Steven ZebofskyYou made me love history. Even though I was a horrible history student who couldn’t write an AP US essay to save my life, you taught me things about the world that no one else ever mentioned. I was always amazed and how all you needed to do was write an Aim on the board and still deliver a brilliant lesson simply through discussion and debate. Thank you for letting be Sparta and kicking Athens’ ass.

As you think about all the teachers who have positively influenced you or your children, please remember them during this special week. A little moment of gratitude means everything to us.